Ohhhh @BatCoach you are such a kind soul. You have gone over and above what a mere mortal would do. Following your journey with this colony has been epic. You should be profoundly proud of your work. You HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your efforts. You did amazing things. Be proud of that.
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Great pics that put a smile on my face. Who is the little one in the frog outfit? That little face - I want to smooosh him!
If I tried to put my cats in any of those they would act like they were being killed. And I’m sure I would be severely punished later. lol
Aww that is sully. He’s the sensitive boy of the group. I luv his classic grey tabby. And you are spot-on, he is incredibly smooshable and loves forehead kisses.
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@batcoach, How do you get them to pose??? I tried once to do a meme with mine. She was supposed to wear a sign that said “I peed in the dog’s food dish – twice!” but I couldn’t get her to wear it or sit still for the photo.
Your abilities amaze me.
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my tips are:
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wait until they are a little tired - particularly with littles, the need to get their wiggles out
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have a crinkly or noisy toy to get their attention
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remove other distractions (other pets)
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take tons of shots. For every good shot, there are like 20 bad, blurry ones. Thank god for digital pics on phones!
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Bribe with treats
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it only takes half a second to get a shot. even if they are wiggling around or trying to remove the costume, keep snapping shots. Some of my best ones are just a milisecond before they got the hat off or jumped off the pedestal.
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I remember years ago trying to take a picture of my kitty Clive with the tie outfit that Mike has on. He would have won an Academy Award for the drama. He locked eyes with me and ever so slll-ooww-llly toppled over on his side. It was like watching a balloon deflate in slow motion. He refused to walk or even sit up. The other two boys - Jack and Duncan - sat there with their faces screwed up and eyes squinched shut like they were being tortured. Useless - the lot of them. So no pics. I admire anyone who can get good cat pics. Yours are adorable. And if those don’t sell them then I don’t know what would.
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How are you doing @BatCoach? I think of you, your kitties, and your efforts often. Hope all is well.
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Mike got adopted last Saturday! A friend of a friend saw one of my instagram posts and I brought all 3 kittens up to her house (1 hour 30 min drive away - but worth it!). They had recently lost their kitty of 19 years, and her little girl was heart broken. When I brought the kitties in their house, the little girl started to cry, she was so happy she could pick out ‘her’ cat.
All 3 babies were superstars, but this spunky little red-headed 2nd grader fell for the plain brown tabby with attitude for days. Mike is bold and fearless and loves adventure, he didn’t bat an eye at meeting their huge black lab and playing with the little girl endlessly in her room - chasing toys and chewing on her model horse’s tails LOL. She promptly proclaimed that his new name will be George and they are already best pals. I’m so happy Mike found his person, the only thing that would be better is if they could have taken Sully as well, but her Dad was very firm in saying “One or None.”
So now I am down to 2. Sweet Sully and Bo Peep. Sully certainly missed his brother that first day, but he will adjust. He definitely is a beta kitty, so I hope his next home is with a good older kitty (or that he and Bo get adopted together!)
We have an adoption event this weekend at a local Petco. If they don’t get adopted there, they get rabies shots on Monday, and will go to the PetSmart in Alhambra in their adoption habitat and will live in that store until they are adopted 
At this point I really wish I could just keep them, but 6 cats in a 3 bedroom house is a bit much. My fostering journey is winding down, so now I can step-up the TnRing as there are 2 cats slinking around the colony and I have to get them fixed. The summer of kittens is over - I will miss the chaos, but it will be nice to go ‘back to normal’.
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Meh . . . I’ve got 7 in a two-bedroom house, and before last fall, I had 10! You sort of learn to step over/around them. 
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haha I happily would! Unfortunately the hubby disagrees. He maxes out at 4.
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Job well done @BatCoach. Hope this adoption event is the bomb! If not your remaining kittens will have had the most wonderful start and the greatest effort imaginable. DO NOT feel any semblance of bad. You did so much more than anyone else offered… the kitties are safe loved and just around the corner from their forever homes. You deserve a god damn trophy. 
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Lord yes, you deserve a plaque at least, and maybe a Chevron gift card. Maintaining detente with the DH, BIL, and HOA is not easy. I am so happy little plain ol’ George aka Mike has a home. So many people want fancy.
Good luck with Sully and Bo. Their little orange highlights will be a help. If they have not outgrown their hats, maybe bring pics.
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Hats off to you @BatCoach. You really did GOOD. Lots and lots of work for you but rest easy
that you made all the difference in all these kitties’ lives. I applaude you.
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Glad to hear that Mike/George found a great home. Sending positive vibes for the adoption event this weekend.
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And I have seven in a two-bedroom townhouse (but don’t tell my neighbors, please, lol)
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One final update. All of the foster kittens are gone. Sully is the only one who still has not found a home - he was taken in by a foster in our network, and then had to go to a different foster since he was not getting along with her younger kittens. He is now happy in a foster home w/ kitties his own age. I still miss him and wish he could just keep fostering with us, but the majority at home has spoken. Fingers crossed he finds a good forever home sooner than later, but at least he is happy where he is now.
Gemma (formerly Jessie) is our spoiled princess. She has a spicy torbie attitude and we love it. The old chonky boy allows her to sleep with him and grooms her, and my 3 year old cat loves having a playmate that he can play tag with. I’m sure when she reaches her full size they will be great wrestle buddies.
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I still have some cats in the colony that I need to TnR (new ones seem to show up from time to time) so I can focus on that now.
I learned a lot on this fostering journey. I will certainly do it again down the road when I have the space for it, and carefully research the rescue I partner with to ensure that communication is clear, and that I have full understanding on what their adoption polices are. I loved helping these babies grow into healthy good kitty citizens who will live spoiled house cat lives. The house seems quiet without the kitten chaos, but it is also nice to not have to kitten-proof everything.
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Thanks for ALL you did for these kitties. For sure, you made a difference and you made their lives better. Also thanks for sharing the experience with us. I really loved the stories and pictures.
I’m so glad all the kittens are placed and I hope Sully will find his forever home soon. Do you still see Daisy and Marlow? I hope they’re doing well too. They’re probably glad they don’t have to deal with more babies. 
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@BatCoach. this is a long winding thread. That has taught me so much. About the kindness of people, the magnificence of their efforts, and the reality of life. Thank you so much for your update. Chester is still here. He’s a randy MF’er. Sometimes loves to be inside and other times he will literally claw the wall and hang off a door knob to be free. He gets flea treatment, got neutered, vaccinated, and that’s about all I can do. He’s sleeping in the hall right now. Weathers turning. He’s feeling more domesticated with the cold. Although he did climb a 60 ft tree yesterday and just winked at me at the top. Cats. Gotta love them. Thank you for sharing your journey. It was amazing.
You make a difference I guess. That’s all we can do. Sometimes it’s big and sometimes it’s just one. You did so much more. Much respect.
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I see Daisy and Marlow every day. Daisy knows she can come up to the garage every morning and get her favorite Sheba treat stick from me. I tell her how good her babies are, what Gemma is up to and she lets me pet her for a little bit, but definitely on her terms and only for a short while. Marlow comes for the food with the rest of the crew but is feral as ever. She is good friends with an older Siamese ear-tipped female, so I see them together frequently.
Other people in the complex have taken to feeding them. Some of our community cats are downright tubby off of cheap kibble. They have even gotten picky and made it known that Costco Kirkland Select kibble is not to their liking. Friskies gravy flavor only thank you very much!
The colony has about 10 cats, some I see more than others. Daisy is my favorite, and out of worry, I always make sure to keep an eye out for her. She caught a bird the other day and proudly brought it over to my garage and sat with it there until I got home to see it. I felt honored that she wanted to boast about her kill to me. Sometimes she gives me gifts of dead cockroaches too. All and all, most of the community cats are quite healthy (or as healthy as can be expected) and I keep an eye out for newcomers to make sure they get TNRed. No way did I work this hard just to have another litter of kittens on my hands!
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You have been such a great support and cheerleader! I’m grateful for the CoTH kitty crew - its so nice to be able to trade stories and pics! Tell Mr. Chester that I am VERY impressed by his feat of manliness and tree climbing skills. He’s a regular Tarzan as far as I am concerned.
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